First, Hikind held a press conference and said he was sorry if anyone was offended that he dressed as a black basketball player, in blackface.

He issued that qualified apology in response to a very public backlash against him after a photo of him at a Purim Party, in costume, was posted online.

Later, in a radio interview with Zev Brenner, Hikind said he didn't mean to offend anyone, and began to criticize his critics, equating wearing blackface with non-Jews dressing up as Hassidic rabbis for Halloween. Callers to Brenner's show also defended Hikind.